Pan de Muerto (Mexican Sweet Bread)

     Light, fluffy goodness.

   Those are the words to describe this bread.

If you like croissants and are spending the day at home, this is the recipe for you. Work with it for twenty minutes. Leave it for an hour. Repeat.

"Dead Man's Bread" is a Mexican sweet bread made for Dia de los Muertos (November 2nd). (So... I'm only seven months off...)

Here's the recommended music:Daylights by Matt and Kim

 

Dissolve the yeast in the orange flower water. Add half of the 1/3 c. of milk (leave the other half out on the counter at room temperature), and 1/4 c. of the bread flour. Mix well with a whisk (dough should be sticky and smooth), and leave at warm room temperature for 20-30 minutes until the mixture begins to bubble and look puffy.

 

Put the remaining flour (1 3/4 c.) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment and add sugar, salt, and orange zest. Mix for about 30 seconds. Add the eggs, the remaining milk and the yeast dough mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together, then add the butter a little at a time in small pieces with the mixer running, increasing the speed to medium.  The dough will be sticky!

 

Form two bones out of the excess dough, and a little gumball-sized drop for the top. Let rest, covered with a clean towel, until doubled in size about 1 1/2 hours, maybe longer.

 

Towards the end of the rise, preheat oven to 350. Bake for 20 minutes, check browning. Continue baking for 10-20 more minutes until the bottom is browned (and temperature taken from the bottom is 190 degrees).

Remove from the pan to a wire rack and cool for a few minutes. Brush with melted butter, and immediately sprinkle with sugar evenly all over the top.

 

 Pan de Muerto (Fany Gerson's My Sweet Mexico)
yield 1 loaf (1/2 of original)

Dough:

• 1 1/8 t. (a heaping teaspoon) active dry yeast
• 1 T. orange flower water
• 1/3 c. milk (whole or 2%)
• 2 c. bread flour
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. grated orange zest
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, room temperature

Topping:

• 2 T. butter, melted
• 1/4 c. sugar (more or less)

Dissolve the yeast in the orange flower water. Add half of the 1/3 c. of milk (leave the other half out on the counter at room temperature), and 1/4 c. of the bread flour. Mix well with a whisk (dough should be sticky and smooth), and leave at warm room temperature for 20-30 minutes until the mixture begins to bubble and look puffy.

Put the remaining flour (1 3/4 c.) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment and add sugar, salt, and orange zest. Mix for about 30 seconds. Add the eggs, the remaining milk and the yeast dough mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together, then add the butter a little at a time in small pieces with the mixer running, increasing the speed to medium.  The dough will be sticky!

Continue beating for 10-15 minutes. (I let mine go 20 actually.) The dough should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl a little bit, but if it doesn't, add a small amount of flour, but no more than half of a 1/3 c.
Lightly oil a large bowl, and place the dough inside. Cover and let raise at room temperature until doubled in size 1-1 1/2 hours. Lightly punch down the dough, gathering the sides up and flipping it over so that the seams are on the bottom. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to continue, bring the dough out of the fridge and leave at room temp to warm up for an hour. Cut off a lime sized piece of dough to use for the "bones", and on a lightly floured surface, quickly shape the (still sticky) dough into a ball. Transfer to a parchment or silicone mat lined sheet and press down gently. Form two bones out of the excess dough, and a little gumball-sized drop for the top. Let rest, covered with a clean towel, until doubled in size about 1 1/2 hours, maybe longer.

Towards the end of the rise, preheat oven to 350. Bake for 20 minutes, check browning. Continue baking for 10-20 more minutes until the bottom is browned (and temperature taken from the bottom is 190 degrees).

Remove from the pan to a wire rack and cool for a few minutes. Brush with melted butter, and immediately sprinkle with sugar evenly all over the top.